Until the present invention, there has been no entirely satisfactory way of enabling consumers at a point of sale to sample the scent of a fragrance product such as a deodorant, room air freshener, car air freshener, fabric softener, candle, and the like. Atomizers commonly used to spray perfumes emit a liquid that can be harmful to the eyes, dangerous to children, or cause damage to in-store fixtures and nearby merchandise.
It is known to place within a container made of a flexible resilient plastic material, a porous item into which a fragrance material has been absorbed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,335 to Cuthbert. Fragrance evaporates into the air within the container. When the container is squeezed, the resilient walls are urged inwardly to pump an air fragrance mixture within the container through an opening to the ambient environment. In such a device, the porous material serves to store the fragrance while the resilient walls of the container provide the necessary resilience for restoring the container to a relaxed position whereat the container is filled with air from the ambient atmosphere. A disadvantage of such a construction is that, over time, flexing and unflexing of the container walls can leak and ultimately lead to rupture of the plastic from which the container is made. Also, the porous item tends to dry out quickly thereby limiting the useful life of the device as a scent dispenser.
Another approach found in U.S. Pat. No. 8,777,127 to Bernstein is to employ a container made of paper or flexible cardboard into which a resilient wafer has been placed. The paper or cardboard container is sealed along its edges and the resilient wafer provides the spring force necessary to restore the volume of the container after it is reduced by squeezing the container walls together thereby compressing the wafer.
The use of cardboard in a scent sampler at a point of purchase display can convey an impression of shoddiness or inferiority, especially after use over a prolonged period of time, as such constructions are subject to damage and wear. Moreover, because the space with a cardboard container sealed at the edges is narrower at the edges than near in the center, the scent carrying wafer must be affixed to an inside surface to prevent its becoming wedged in near the edges which can reduce its effectiveness in restoring the volume of the container when released.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned problems of the prior art in providing a construction formed from substantially rigid and, hence, strong materials. Such a constructing is more impressive to consumers and conveys the feeling of a higher quality product than is the case with a cardboard construction.